Val Chmerkovskiy suspended from 'Dancing with the Stars' after social media dispute
Professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy received a one-week suspension from "Dancing with the Stars" following a controversial Instagram post directed at judge Carrie Ann Inaba; Alan Bersten will partner with Jenna Dewan for the upcoming episode.
Val Chmerkovskiy will miss next week’s live episode of "Dancing with the Stars" after producers imposed a one-week suspension for a social-media comment aimed at judge Carrie Ann Inaba. The comment, which referenced a recent high-profile incident at the Oscars, was deleted but prompted Inaba to file a complaint with the network’s human-resources department.
A production source told Page Six that the suspension surprised Chmerkovskiy, but he accepted the decision and expects to return for the following show. The network issued a statement saying the dancer’s post was “inappropriate and does not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected with the show.”
In Chmerkovskiy’s absence, fellow professional Alan Bersten will dance with his partner Jenna Dewan. The source added that Chmerkovskiy has sent support to Dewan and expressed gratitude to Bersten for stepping in.
Chmerkovskiy later posted an apology, stating he will “do better moving forward” and emphasizing that he does not want to become a distraction from the competition. Representatives for Inaba, Chmerkovskiy and ABC did not respond to requests for comment.